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Aldrich Killian
Aldrich Killian is a villainous character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the main antagonist of Iron Man 3. A brilliant scientist and businessman, he was the founder and CEO of the scientific research agency Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.). He was portrayed by Guy Pearce. History Early Life Aldrich Killian grew up with a number of physical disabilities that he was never able to accept, and spent most of his life trying to overcome them in any way he could. His tenacity and blind determination in fighting for a better life were seen by some as irritating, as he often came across as obnoxious. He could not accept the cards he was dealt, and being as intelligent as he was, he had a real drive to change himself and become a different person. Killian was highly influenced by his father and would often quote phrases he said. On New Year's Eve 1999 in Bern, Switzerland, Killian initially asked for Tony Stark's support for his project under Advanced Idea Mechanics, only to be shunned and ignored by the latter. Stark lied and said he would meet him on the roof of the building, but he never came. After his realization that Stark had ignored his proposition, Killian briefly contemplated on committing suicide. Afterwards his lonesome presence on the roof caused him to relish in his state of anonymity, in which Killian decided to work on his own in creating an expansive and covert business for himself. Although Stark never contacted Killian again, Maya Hansen did call him and joined his organization, using her designs for a formula named Extremis. Over the years, through his privately-funded organization A.I.M., Killian created a team to further research and develop Extremis, which imparted unusual levels of strength and resiliency to human subjects. Despite the success in the enhanced strength and healing, the subjects would often experience overheating and in certain cases of overuse, they would explode. However, they could be trained to use and control the heat. Controlling the War on Terror After curing himself of his disability through Hansen's research of Extremis, Killian conducted many illegal experiments, of which several resulted in the explosions of his test subjects. Killian decided to masquerade his failed experiments as terrorist attacks but he needed someone to fulfill the role of a supposed leader; a feared terrorist who would publicly take responsibility for said "attacks". After researching the history of the Ten Rings, one of the most feared terrorist groups in the world, and how they were historically affiliated with the man called the "Mandarin", Killian decided to give that name to his own fake terrorist. He found the failed British actor Trevor Slattery and paid him in money and drugs to play the Mandarin. Whenever one of Killian's experiments with Extremis would fail, causing explosions and a great number of civilian casualties, Killian's men would hack American TV signals and relay TV broadcasts of the "Mandarin". Surrounded with the iconography of the Ten Rings, the "Mandarin" would constantly declare that these supposed "attacks" were "another lesson" for the American people. Killian approached Pepper Potts of Stark Industries to join him in the funding and research of Extremis. Pepper met Killian in her office and was shocked at the physical change he had gone through since she had last seen him, Killian told her how happy he was to see her and how great she looked. Although Happy Hogan remained suspicious, Potts insisted it was fine and went with Killian to discuss his pitch. Killian explained that he'd come to Stark Industries intending for Potts and Stark to join his organization A.I.M., or at least invest in his concepts for world changing ideas. Killian pitched his concept of Extremis by using a 3D hologram of his own brain and showed how Extremis can upgrade a person's entire DNA. Killian enthusiastically showed off his understanding of the human body and explained how Extremis heals and regenerates cells at an extraordinary level. Pepper was impressed by the concept and the presentation. With the pitch over with, Pepper and Killian continued to discuss the concept of Extremis. In the end it was an offer Pepper declined due to believing the serum could be highly weaponizable, which she believed Tony Stark would never support, although Killian argued that Stark might not be the best person to vote on the matter, noting that he had invited Stark to join A.I.M. years earlier and had been turned down, but Pepper stood by her word and told Killian that Stark Industries would not be investing in A.I.M.. When Killian left Stark Industries he expressed his disappointment but gave Pepper a kiss on the cheek before leaving with his bodyguard Eric Savin. By masking his illegal activities, Killian was able to conduct his experiments while perpetuating a new "War on Terror" that he could monopolize and control. When Stark publicly threatened the Mandarin, Killian answered by sending his men to attack Stark's mansion. Once the attack was complete Killian received a call from Savin informing him that Stark's mansion was destroyed and Stark had seemingly been killed, although his body had not yet been found. Killian then arranged for Trevor Slattery to broadcast a message as the Mandarin, claiming responsibility for the attack. Upon discovering that Maya Hansen attempted to save Stark due to him holding the knowledge of perfecting Extremis, Killian decided to kidnap Pepper as leverage. Killian arrived at the hotel where Pepper and Maya were hiding and attacked the pair, killing the waiter who arrived at their room and choking out Pepper while demanding to know what Hansen was doing going to Stark. Stark was captured by Savin when he broke into Killian's mansion and discovered the truth about Trevor Slattery. Killian kept him captured and, having Pepper as his hostage, he injected her with Extremis to further motivate and antagonize Stark to work for him. With Stark's continued refusal to help him, Killian decided to leave him in captivity while keeping Pepper as his personal "trophy". When Maya had a change of heart upon seeing the lengths Killian was willing to do to torture Stark, she tried to convince Killian to set Stark free by threatening to overdose with Extremis. Killian initially tried to change her mind but was quickly bored and casually shot and killed her. As he left he jokingly commented that a high ranking position within A.I.M. was now available, causing Stark to call him a maniac. Killian calmly declared himself a visionary, although he noted that he did own a maniac who would be broadcasting to the world again that night. Final stages Killian's soldiers also managed to capture Colonel James Rhodes, as Killian needed to use the Iron Patriot armour to kidnap President Matthew Ellis, however Rhodes was still inside the suit and refused to leave and allow them to take it. As Savin failed to cut open the suit, Killian used his Extremis powers to slowly heat up the suit, boiling Rhodes inside. Eventually the heat proved too much and Rhodes was forced to leap out and try and fight his way out of the facility, kicking over Savin. Killian used his fire breath to stop Rhodes, who was so shocked he gave up, Savin then pushed him headfirst into a wall, knocking him out. Killian then began ranting about how he now had control over the War of Terror and would create supply and demand for the weaponry, leading to massive profits for A.I.M.. Killian ordered Savin to use the Iron Patriot armour to pose as Rhodes and abduct President Ellis. He then planned to orchestrate a live feed broadcasting the murder of Ellis across the nation, further giving the American people the belief that the Mandarin was responsible. He would next install his ally Vice President Rodriguez as President, who would act as a puppet for Killian, effectively allowing him to take over the United States of America. Killian brought Pepper with him and spoke to her when she awoke from her torture, confessing that she was there purely as his trophy. President Ellis then arrived, having been forced to wear the Iron Patriot armour which flew him to Killian's location. Killian explained to Ellis how he intended to use the image of Roxxon's ship the Norco, that was responsible for accidentally spilling a million gallons of crude oil off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, to kill Ellis by drowning him in oil or blowing him up. He then had his soldiers string up Ellis while he wore the Iron Patriot armour and broadcasted the image across America. Stark and Rhodes interrupted and attacked the Norco with the help of Stark's J.A.R.V.I.S.-controlled Iron Man suits. In the ensuing battle, Stark finally found Pepper, only for her to be trapped under debris from an earlier explosion. Before Stark was able to rescue her, Killian angrily attacked him and disabled his suit. Killian then pressed his red hot finger on Stark's chest and began to melt the suit, getting closer and closer to his heart. Before Killian could execute him however, Stark sliced off his arm and escaped while Pepper fell onto a gantry. Showdown While Pepper seemingly died after falling hundreds of feet into an explosion, Killian approached Stark for a duel. The two engaged in a brutal fight with Stark switching between various Iron Man suits as Killian destroyed each one after another. Eventually Killian sliced one of Stark's armours in half and Stark was left defenseless and at Killian's mercy. Killian continued to mock Stark, noting that he almost had Pepper perfect before she had died. Before he could kill Stark, J.A.R.V.I.S. sent the Mark 42 prototype to aid him in his battle, however the malfunctioning armour crashed and fell apart upon impact. Stark then told Killian that Pepper was already perfect before he kinetically attached the armour onto Killian to stall his movements. After commanding the suit to pin Killian against the wall, Stark then activated the Mark 42's self-destruct function, seemingly blowing Killian up in the process. However, thanks to his Extremis powers, Killian survived the explosion, and after the complex in which the two were fighting was demolished, he confronted the battered Stark. Advancing towards him, Killian was proud for his crimes and asserted to be "Mandarin" himself, elaborating that the two should stop wearing "false faces". Just before he was able to attack Stark, Pepper attacked him from behind, having survived her fall with the help of her newfound Extremis abilities. Just before Killian was able to retaliate, Pepper ripped a repulsor gauntlet from the Mark VIII suit, attaching it to herself and utilizing its capabilities to finally kill Killian for good. 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